Breaking Through
by Pandapaw
Summary: She was beaten within an inch of her life on a daily basis and brainwashed by none other than Danzou himself, with the sole purpose of creating a lethal weapon out of her. When she needed her team most...they were nowhere to be found. They had abandoned her and she couldn't bring herself to forgive them. The next time they face one another...will be on the battlefield.
1. Chapter 1

Breaking Through

…

Chapter One

…

_It was midnight; houses burned as screams of agony and terror echoed throughout the village. Chuunin hastily evacuated as many civilians as they could whilst every able-bodied shinobi fought the enemy with their lives on the line. Metal clashed against metal, jutsu against jutsu. Bodies scattered the village's soil, bleeding out the life force of those who fought to protect everything they held dear._

_Sakura gripped her travel pack in horror at the sight she was faced with upon entering her beloved village. Her mind swam with unanswered questions, confusion, worry, disbelief…and most of all, anger. It was a pure and undiluted rage that caused the normally gentle medic to let loose a feral growl from under her breath. This wasn't right._

_Rage…the feeling was so vivid. _

…

"_Ino…INO stay with me!" Before she knew it chakra was already flowing into the gaping hole in her best friend's side. Sakura felt like she couldn't breathe. This was Ino…she wasn't supposed to look like this…soaked in blood and the life leaving her eyes._

_Ino forced out a bloody smile, eyes closing at the pain of the movement and lifting up a bloodied hand to gently rub the frantic kunoichi's arm as a semblance of comfort. The simple action made Sakura's heart wrench._

…

_Tsunade motioned for the young medic to come over, placing her glowing fingertips on Sakura's temples. "This information can only be unlocked by Naruto's chakra. No one, not even you, can gain access to this without his chakra. It is vital that you find him Sakura. I am not only placing the future of the village in your hands…but I am also passing down my will of fire to you,"_

_After seeing the Hokage send her one last apologetic smile before watching the light leave her eyes something snapped within Sakura-_

…

"Shishou!" The twenty-one year old medic shot up into a sitting position, a thin layer of sweat covering her body. Her dreams were broken up and she couldn't determine the proper order they should have been in. Emerald orbs closed in an attempt to calm the rush of thoughts and memories that swarmed her mind.

After taking in a deep breath those very same orbs snapped open to reveal a pair of sharp eyes that held no feeling or emotions of any sort. It has been four years since Danzou took over the village and had taken everything she held dear, not to mention stripping the majority of the rookie 9 of their shinobi titles and forcing them to live as civilians under constant surveillance.

For four years she hasn't seen or heard of her team and during the first year of her capture, under Danzou's orders, all she prayed for was for her boys to bust in and save her. It was then that she realised that she was still unbelievably weak and could only depended on others. During that first year of his rule he had kept her and a couple of other highly ranked shinobi underground and imprisoned, only being let out when it was time for a beating or a brainwashing lecture from Danzou himself. There was only so much her body and heart could handle. When her spirit had finally been crushed, Danzou took the opportunity to remind her over and over again about how her beloved team -her family- had so easily abandoned her to rot within the village prison. The sad thing was…she knew it was true.

Once Danzou had deemed her ready enough, he had thrown her into Root to not only wipe out any traces of emotion left within her but to also shape her into a deadly tool that he could control. Despite having been jaded by the torture and brainwashing prior to the Root training, she could still feel them even as she trained with Root…but the remaining emotions she had left were eliminated as soon as Danzou had forced her into slitting the throat of the young woman she had been living with during her time in Root. Her emotions had drained out of her just like how the blood had drained out of the other woman's throat.

By passing Danzou's exam, Sakura had made into Root and was deployed on almost every single suicide mission the village had to offer. This may have been another way for Danzou to strengthen her but it also continued to harden the young woman to the point where she truly couldn't feel anything else other than anger. Sakura shook her head from the unwelcome replay of past memories before lifting herself off the mattress and grabbing some clothes, intent on washing up.

She couldn't remember most of the events that occurred during the night of the takeover but she knew Tsunade had left her with a purpose…though she couldn't exactly remember what it was. After witnessing her mentor's death the petal-haired shinobi mourned for weeks and had cursed Danzou to the pits of hell during his brainwashing sessions, angry at herself for not being strong enough to save the woman who had been the only one to see her potential as a great kunoichi. Memories of her shishou seemed to be the only images that could create a small, almost insignificant, spark of emotion deep within her heart. No matter how jaded she would become she could never abandon her shishou…not even her memories of the woman.

Sakura finished up and scanned her body in the mirror, blank emerald orbs scanning every visible scar that marred the expanse of her milky complexion. A hollow smirk graced her plump lips. Danzou had definitely succeeded in making her into one of his most deadly tools…one that couldn't feel even when taking the life of a parent or a child. The only thing that made her heart twitch was the knowledge that her shishou must be so disappointed with her…even in the afterlife.

With a small sigh she adjusted the standard black ANBU tank top that fit snugly against her torso and began pulling up the attached black mask to cover the bottom of her face, eyes narrowing when images of her sensei flitted through her mind. Sakura then picked up her crimson Anbu vest-armour that was usually a neutral colour for normal root members and letting calloused fingers trace over the Haruno symbol on the back before strapping it onto her body, watching as it stopped just above her navel.

After slipping on the standard shinobi pants, Sakura proceeded to wrap bandages around the bottom of her pants and slipped her feet into a pair of high-heeled ninja boots that stopped a few inches beneath her knees, Images of a busty hokage flashing behind dull emerald orbs. Delicate hands slipped into a pair of crimson arm guards before slipping into a pair of black leather gloves that sported titanium plates on the back where the Uzumaki symbol was carefully carved. A smile as bright as sunshine flashed back at her within her mind. Anger sparked within her as she stared at her gloves, wearing them only because Danzou had mentioned how they would always remind her of their betrayal and how she could never go back.

After tying her waist-length locks into a high ponytail and watching a couple of strands fall out to frame her face, she donned her precious forehead protector around her right arm, having it contrast against the dark ink of the Anbu symbol on her left. She believed that she no longer had the right to wear it on her forehead as a symbol of the leaf…

Lastly, she strapped on her weapon holster and her medical pouch before tying her katana around the back of her waist, scanning the red bandages wrapped around the handle and seeing an image of a long lost team mate that brought back her previous spark of anger. Without another word the pinkette grabbed a porcelain mask that strongly resembled the ferocious face of the ink tigers that a certain ex-root member used in his techniques before hooking it around the belt of her medic pack. Until now she couldn't understand why Danzou had given her Sai's old mask as it also only proved to be a reminder of the missing ex-root member.

...

...

Sakura swiftly made her way through the busy Konoha streets, only slowing down when she saw two root members crowding a female near the Yamanaka flower shop. Sakura's slow stride came to a complete halt as she glanced over to the girl causing trouble, sharp emerald orbs taking note of long platinum hair and defiant baby blue orbs. The petal-haired captain closed her eyes in annoyance.

"_Ino…for the love of the gods stay awake! Please…" Tears of frustration were threatening to fall but Sakura furiously held them back. There was no reason for tears because Ino was going to live._

"…Ino," The memory was gone just as soon as it came. The crimson captain wordlessly made her way over to the group whilst sparing no emotion for the situation…she just couldn't feel anything.

"You need to be punished for your rudeness," One of the root members grabbed onto the blonde's petite arm harshly, causing her to let out a pained cry. After hearing those words the pink haired captain flickered into view and a steel grip wrapped itself around the root shinobi's wrist. Sakura stared back emotionlessly at surprised blue orbs.

"What is your reason for harming a civilian?" Sakura's smooth voice was dangerously calm but held no anger or venom, only a stern sense of authority. Both root members stilled at the oppressive aura of the elegant kunoichi before bowing and giving the captain some space.

"She had cussed out our leader, Danzou-sama…Haruno-taichou," Sakura nodded and released the wrist of the root member before unconsciously moving her body to cover Ino.

"I will handle this ordeal, you two head back to Hyuuga-taichou. He is handing out missions to his teams," The two nodded and disappeared to the rooftops. Sakura turned back to the confused blonde, grabbing hold of her wrist and gently giving it a small slap. Ino scoffed and snatched her wrist back. Sakura bowed a little before turning and preparing to take to the rooftops when she heard the angry voice of the blonde she had just saved.

"I'm still a kunoichi of the leaf, Sakura. Tell me…where did my best friend go? I miss her. Until she comes back…I'm willing to take whatever punishment Danzou dishes out! The pain would be nothing compared to what you've endured-" Not wanting to hear another word, Sakura sped through the rooftops, not wanting to waste any more time.

…

...

Sakura landed on the window ledge of the Hokage's office in a couple of minutes and gracefully stepped in, taking note of the three other captains that stood in front of Danzou. She nodded to the other three and placed her mask on her face before bowing to Danzou and falling into line next to Hyuuga Neji. Despite Danzou's coup, most shinobi were still deathly loyal to the village and continued to do what they could to keep their families safe…this included the usually stoic Hyuuga.

"I have prepared a few missions I need to go over for the upcoming events involving Konoha and Amegakure's new trading contract," Sakura saw the Hyuuga's fist twitch slightly before drawing her attention back to the scrolls their leader was handing out. Amegakure fell into the leaf's blacklist after the Akatsuki attack so it was understandable for the Hyuuga to despise the situation.

"Hyuuga-taichou, you are to triple the chakra barriers around the village perimeter as a precaution…we cannot fully trust Ame and even if their arrival is short…I'm not willing to allow any hostile attempts towards the village," Neji bowed as he accepted the scroll and left without another word.

"Kitaguchi-taichou, you are to make sure all the preparations for the arrival go smoothly and that security around the HQ is doubled. I will not tolerate any slip ups," The original root taichou bowed and left as silently as Neji had.

"Hitsune-taichou, I want your section of root to be on constant surveillance when Amegakure's party arrives. Have teams alternating in scouting not only the area around the village but also within the village. If anything looks suspicious you are to investigate subtly. As soon as the third taichou had left, Danzou's eyes landed on her and she stepped closer, awaiting her orders.

"Ah, what a loyal subject you have become Sakura…your shishou must be rolling in her grave," his chuckle was low and the mocking tone evident but it still had no effect on her.

"I know I've been sending you on suicide missions for the past year and have stopped giving them to you after you earned the title of taichou…but this mission I have for you requires your specific skill set. Though you did make a name for yourself by coming back from these missions alive, child," Sakura's eyes showed no emotion and she could only nod in acceptance as Danzou watched her with a calculating gaze.

"Hai, Danzou-sama," Danzou's wicked smirk was sickening as he handed the scroll to one of his few female captains. Tsunade must truly be suffering in the other world, watching her precious pupil live as one of his many puppets.

"Such obedience…I truly have created a wonderful weapon. Now, you're mission requires you to retrieve a couple of scrolls from one of my informants in Iwa but I also want you to destroy the crime lord that has hold of them as a show of power to the Tsuchikage. He won't be able to reject our offer of power for much longer," Sakura stayed silent and bowed before accepting her scroll and without another word leapt through the window to get ready.

"I should thank you, Tsunade-hime…for leaving me your most precious apprentice. Who knew that useless whelp of a kunoichi actually had some talent in her," Danzou laced his fingers beneath his chin and chuckled wickedly under his breath as he continued to mock the Godaime's legacy.

…

…

"Why the long face?" Cobalt orbs looked to the owner of the voice before miserably shifting back to the ground.

"It's been four years and…I am one of the biggest cowards in the entire shinobi world," The deep boyish voice had spoken the last part softly, almost as if he were talking to himself. The other figure sighed before the sound of a book snapping shut was heard and he was crouching next to the younger man.

"We have a plan remember? Only a little bit more and we'll free them all…especially _her_," downcast cobalt orbs only closed in response as the owner gripped the kunai he was polishing, not sure whether those words were doing anything to console him at the moment.

"Sensei…It's been _four years_. I know we…had our reasons for not returning but we left her alone…she _trusted_ us," The crouched figure stood slowly, head bowed and fists clenching.

"She'll…understand Naruto. It's all we can hope for right now," Naruto gave off a small growl before furiously throwing his kunai to the side, not caring how close it had landed to his team mate's head.

"Hey dickless, watch where you throw those things ah?" The ex-root member had not even flinched when the kunai had sped past his cheek and continued to draw in his sketchbook.

"Don't you guys miss her…?" Naruto's heartbroken voice was quiet but they all heard it, their own silence deafening.

"Every day Naruto…every day," Kakashi turned to his face to hide his shame from the other boys. After all, Sakura had considered him a father figure…and all he had done was betray her.

"Of course I miss that hag…" They had to strain to hear Sai's voice as the pale artist kept his head down and continued to draw, his hand flicking here and there to perfect the image of a familiar young woman who had been healing a child's scraped knee.

"Sakura-chan…"

…

…

Sakura had finished packing her equipment and began turning off the lights to get ready for bed, she did have a mission tomorrow morning after all. Once she had secured her apartment the young kunoichi walked into her bedroom and glanced and the board to her left, the moonlight illuminating the collage of photos of her friends. Sharp emerald orbs began to narrow as plump lips were pulled down in a hateful scowl when her eyes had landed on the photos of her team. They were all smiling so happily.

"_Don't worry Sakura-chan! We won't let anything happen to you!" his smile had always been infectious so it had her smiling as brightly as him within seconds. She had accepted her birthday present form him and gave him a bone crushing hug, one that he returned happily. _

"_Naruto's right ugly…I guess you could say we're…family?" Sakura gasped because she knew it was still difficult for Sai to express himself properly but his words had brought tears to her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She gave him one of her famous bear hugs too. _

"_Yare, yare…you're growing up too fast Saku-chan. Remember…no boys until you're 40 alright? Grant this old man this one wish, ne?" Sakura laughed as Naruto spluttered and began whining to Kakashi but he opted for ignoring him and taking his only female student in his arms, rubbing his masked cheek with her own soft cheek. Sakura giggled and returned her sensei's hug, stepping back as Naruto pulled the old man away from her and began screaming about how perverted the old jounin was. _

_They were her family._

Emerald orbs narrowed further before they closed completely as the owner whipped out a kunai with incredible speed and throwing it at the board, landing on a happy picture of team Kakashi on the Hokage monument. Within a couple of seconds the emotion of anger and hate immediately receded into the depths of those burning emerald orbs, dulling them into blank states once again.

…

…

...

"I have no family…there is only Danzou-sama and my village,"

* * *

I've planned out so many versions of this story and written out a few but this is the one I was the happiest with so I hope you guys enjoyed it!

Leave me some feedback so I know what you guys thought about it! :D


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so happy you guys liked the first chapter :D

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

The early morning air felt refreshing on her skin.

Sakura stood at the peak of the Hokage Mountain whilst dull emerald orbs watched a soft magenta bleed into the grey-blue sky across the horizon. A startling soft orange glow made itself known, spreading its warmth and illuminating the village in a pale glow as it slowly ascended into the sky, signalling that morning had arrived.

Sunrises had always put her in the right mood before a mission and she'd need all the focus she could gather if she wanted to come out of this one alive…_again_.

The crimson Root captain had grabbed her bag and slipped on her black hooded cloak before slipping on her porcelain mask, darting down the mountain and towards the front gates once she was finished adjusting her hood. Despite losing the ability to express her emotions, the kunoichi had visited the village cemetery to bid her deceased parents goodbye with the hopes of returning to them alive. The fact that she couldn't feel anything as she stood over her parents' graves had disturbed her a little; the feeling could not develop into frustration as her training wouldn't allow it, as if there was a wall cutting off her emotions.

Sakura silently sped along the rooftops, not wanting to waste any more time than she already had. The morning air had been colder than usual but the cloth mask and porcelain mask she wore had done its job in keeping her face somewhat warm. After spotting the gate and the two guards on duty, Sakura pushed off of the last rooftop and gracefully landed behind the second guard, noting how they hadn't sensed her presence.

"At this rate the enemy will have no trouble infiltrating our village through our front gates," Her melodious voice had been calm and soft, yet it sounded as a reprimand to the two shinobi who had jumped and faced their captain with a kunai in each hand. Their eyes widened in recognition and immediately put away their weapons. Sakura took in the tired faces of Kotetsu and Izumo, her own blank face hidden beneath ferocious porcelain. Despite the history she had with the two jounin during her time as Tsunade's apprenticeship she couldn't drag out any emotion she held for the two men…she found nothing but emptiness.

"Sakura-chan, you almost gave us a heart attack!" Izumo chuckled before moving back behind his desk near the village gates, the smile never leaving his face. Sakura tensed for half a second at being addressed so familiarly before nodding and moving to sign her name on the register.

"I will be gone for an undetermined length of time and that is all the information you need to know," Kotetsu and Izumo watched the terrifying mask the kunoichi wore with saddened eyes. It felt as if it were just yesterday that she had been cracking jokes with the both of them and chasing Naruto out the front gates with Kakashi and Sai trailing after them.

"Ano…is it another medical related mission Sakura-chan?" Izumo took the register from her and looked up to find the ferocious features of her mask staring down at him, its owner silent and calculating.

"Suicide mission," Those two words were spoken monotonously but it had caused the two jounin to stop what they were doing and stare at her with horror-filled orbs. Sakura brushed off their worry and began walking away.

"Isn't this too much! Danzou should be grateful you returned from all those other ones but…why keep risking your life?" This time it was Kotetsu who had spoken up and had even moved to block Sakura from her path.

"I live for the sole purpose of carrying out orders given by Danzou-sama. I am merely his tool and will do everything in my power to complete his requests. Failure only equates to death," Her eerily calm tone had sent shivers down their spines and they couldn't help but think about how different she was now…she was no longer the fiery little kunoichi they used to tease.

"Sakura-chan don't so this…no matter what others say, we don't see you as a traitor to the Godaime-" Izumo had stopped speaking as he was forced to dodge the poison-dipped senbon that had embedded itself next to head. Both men were now on the defensive and regarded the still kunoichi with saddened gazes. She was so still that it almost seemed as if she had not been the one to throw the senbon, their only confirmation that it was hers was the pale lavender liquid dripping off of the weapon. Poison had always been one of her specialties…one that she took advantage of.

"Do not delay me any more than you already have. Root faction or not, you are to address me appropriately," Her voice had hardened and had both men straightening their backs and lowering their heads in stiff apologetic bows.

"Hai…Haruno-taichou," Before Kotetsu and Izumo could lift their heads, she had already disappeared from their view. Both men had shared frustrated looks before moving back to their post.

"None of your fellow shinobi considers you a traitor to the previous Hokage, Sakura-chan…" Izumo sighed as he slumped against his chair in defeat. Kotetsu looked over to his long-time friend and nodded his head in agreement, sharp orbs watching the area where the petal-haired kunoichi had been standing a few moments before.

"Not after Shikamaru's explanation of the reason you became this way…" The two guards went silent and began recalling bits and pieces of the horrific tale the shadow master had relayed to them.

"_How could Sakura do this! A whole two years of hiding and she returns as one of Danzou's shinobi? That traitorous bitch…I bet she had a hand in the assassination of the Godaime," Kiba growled as he watched the petal-haired kunoichi walk past their group, face void of any emotion. _

"_Maybe Sakura had her reasons! She's not…she can't be-"_

"_Ino stop denying what she's done! Konoha's whole regime has changed because of that bastard and she helped! It's the only plausible explanation," Tenten shook the blonde kunoichi and snarled as she glared daggers at the pinkette. _

"_I say we _beat_ some sense into her…after all this village has done for her-" Kiba was pushed back down into his chair by Neji as he appeared in front of the group with a livid Shikamaru following him._

"_Do not speak so disrespectfully of Haruno-san," Neji's voice was stern and harsh as he defended the pinkette, returning Kiba's glares with one of his own reprimanding ones. _

"_Neji's right. Leave her be…she's gone through enough as it is," Shikamaru managed to glare at the raging man as well before whipping out a smoke and lighting it. _

"_Why're you both defending her? Don't you see that she's in Root now! Hyuuga is a captain but isn't working under the Root faction-" _

"_Tenten, unless you know the full story it's best if you _shut your mouth_," Shikamaru's voice had dropped low and he spoke with a deadliness that was rare for the genius, this side of the shadow master rarely showed itself and it had gotten the group of young shinobi to quiet down. _

"_Sakura's been gone for two years with none of us seeing her even once during that time. The reason is…during the first year she was kept underground in the deepest parts of the village prison, an area that only the Hokage and his private personnel could enter. What she was doing there? Definitely not hiding from her so called traitorous acts" Shikamaru had paused during the explanation and sent both Tenten and Kiba a look of disdain. _

"_During her stay there…Sakura was poisoned on a daily basis to keep her body weak and vulnerable to keep her chakra reserves from replenishing themselves. Three times a week she would be taken out to be tortured until she passed out from the pain and the rest of the week she either wasted away in her cell or was lectured by Danzou and his beliefs. The torture was inhumane…they chained her to the bottom of water tanks, whipped her, electrocuted her, hung her by her wrists, beat her…and it was all to break her spirit. To destroy her will of fire…" Shikamaru stopped to look at the faces of his comrades and scoffed when they all looked dumbstruck, too stunned to believe his words. He smirked when guilt began to set it…_

"_This went on for almost a whole year…why? Because she refused to give in to Danzou…she loved her village too much to do so but her body couldn't handle the pain. After breaking her, Danzou threw her into Root where he eliminated the rest of her emotion…the result of all this is what you see now. Haruno-taichou, a kunoichi jaded to the point where she can't feel anything even if she tried…your perfect shinobi," Shikamaru finished with a sigh and looked away when Ino broke down in tears. _

"_I knew she didn't do anything wrong…" Ino sobbed against Chouji and the big man couldn't help but be saddened by the new information as well. _

"_H-How do you know all this?" Kiba couldn't even look the other man in the eye; his shame overflowed and overwhelmed him. _

"_Neji had been ordered to check on her once and was given the necessary details…even the Hyuuga was left speechless at the sight," Neji bowed his head and tried to stop the horrible images of a kunoichi beaten to the point where she could not even move her jaw…he could only watch as her tears flowed out of fading emerald orbs. He had never felt so useless in his life and not being able to do anything for the kunoichi made him feel as if he'd betrayed Naruto. _

"_Spread the word of Haruno's innocence…I will not tolerate any slander of her name," With that Neji left the group with Shikamaru in tow. _

…

…

Sakura sped through the trees with ease, intent on reaching her destination as fast as she could. Failure was not an option for her because her failure meant her death and as emotionless as she was, there was something deep in her mind that begged her not to die. At first she thought of it as a human being's natural instinct of self-preservation but she was a kunoichi and was ready to lose her life at any moment so it had to be something else. It kind of felt like she still had some unfinished business to take care of yet she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Sakura sighed and looked at the sky, only seeing a soft midnight blue with the moon's light as its only illumination. The kunoichi jumped down into a small clearing that happened to be covered by the overhang of larger tree branches and leaves and decided that it was a good place to rest for the night. Sakura scanned her surroundings silently before whipping out a kunai to slice the tip of her thumb, using the blood to perform a summoning jutsu.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Sakura watched blankly as a net of ancient characters swarmed out underneath her palm and within the same moment her summon had appeared with a puff of smoke, ready for her instructions.

"Sakura-sama, how may I be of assistance?" A large beast of a tiger bowed before the petal-haired kunoichi, his brilliant white fur gleaming in the moonlight as his sharp icy blue orbs closed in a sign of respect.

"Byakko, I need you to check the perimeter and report back to me once you are done. I will be resting here for the night and will arrive at Iwa by tomorrow evening," Sakura pulled down her hood and slipped off her porcelain mask.

"Alright child, I will make sure the area is safe for you to rest in," The large white tiger with unique markings walked over to Sakura and nudged her cheek with his nose as a sign of affection. The beast was twice the size of Akamaru and could tear a fully grown man into pieces. Sakura reached up to pat the tiger on the nose before watching him dart into the forest with movements so elegant she almost envied him. Almost.

Sakura moved to put her pack down before taking out her storage scroll and biting her thumb, watching as her needed items popped into existence with just a small smear of her blood. The kunoichi laid out her bedroll before sitting down to go over her mission scroll.

"The only way to get to the informant and those scrolls is to infiltrate their headquarters…doable," Sakura nodded as she considered the first bit to be easy enough but those emerald orbs narrowed when she went over the last part.

"Hm, the leader is S-ranked. Danzou-sama requires me to eliminate the head and destroy the headquarters…that man may be a problem," Sakura stared at her scroll, sharp orbs calculating her options before they were interrupted by the presence of her summon. The large tiger padded slowly over to the kunoichi before settling his body around the pinkette.

"The perimeter has been secured, child. There are no enemies within the area," Sakura nodded silently before gently scratching the beast behind his ears.

"The man we have to take down is considered S-rank, Byakko. Not to mention we'll be going up against his underlings as well which makes it comparable to fighting a small army. This will be dangerous my friend," Sakura spoke quietly as she laid her back against her summon and pulled her bedroll up to cover her body. The white tiger's chest rumbled in a quiet growl.

"You're still working under that man, blossom? You've almost died a number of times on these missions. You should thank the gods that you've managed to not carry out the 'suicide' bit of these missions, girl," Sakura smirked at the tone of reprimand in the tiger's deep voice. Her summoned beasts were the only ones she could rely on, especially Byakko. They proved their loyalty time and time again…not to mention they have never betrayed her.

"My life belongs to the village. I will die for my village and right now…Danzou-sama _is the village_. He is the Hokage therefore I will serve him as a loyal shinobi," Byakko had always despised that hollow tone in his human's voice. He wished that she'd let a little emotion seep into her voice…but knew all too well why she was like this.

"And if he _wasn't_ the village? What would you do then, child?" Sakura was silent for an entire minute before she turned to face the peaceful tiger and offered him a hollow smile.

"I only know how to serve Danzou-sama, Byakko…"

…

…

"Yo, Naruto…any luck with the meeting?" Kakashi watched the towering young man walk into their room, slightly noticing how decent their inn had been. Well, decent enough for the team to stay in for a couple of weeks.

"Hm, Bee-san said he'll try to convince the Raikage-sama…I mean I don't blame him. What we're doing is extremely risky and if we're not careful…" Shocking cobalt orbs closed in frustration before the tall blonde plopped himself onto the nearest bed. There were only two double beds in their room and Kakashi was already, lazily, taking up the other one.

Tousled blonde hair had grown a little over the years and had begun to resemble his father's but was definitely a messier version. Semi-long bangs falling into his eyes due to the missing forehead protector that they couldn't wear as 'missing-nins'. Naruto's skin still held its sun-kissed complexion and his body had matured to that of a fine young shinobi in his prime with a lean yet finely muscled frame. He had developed into a ruggedly handsome young man and one that Kakashi was proud to call his student.

"Best not to get angry over this Naruto, these things require patience," Kakashi leaned back on his own bed, reading his infamous Icha Icha tactics whilst he tried to calm down his blonde student.

"Che. Kakashi-sensei you never change ah? I mean you'd think you'd get bored after reading that thing for years…" Kakashi threw a look at the blonde over his book and grunted.

"You never get bored of that offensive shade of orange…" Naruto scowled and looked down at his clothing, taking note of the black standard shinobi pants and the bright orange opened vest that he wore over his black wife beater. He had lessened his orange actually…

"I think I dress pretty appropriately sensei-" Naruto was cut off by the slamming of their room door. Both Shinobi looked over and sighed when their dark haired team mate walked in looking absolutely ticked off. They weren't really keen on dealing with the consequences of their team mate's mood right now...so they opted for ignoring him.

Naruto closed his eyes tiredly and opened his mouth to speak, one hand resting behind his head as the other played with the necklace he had recieved from Tsunade.

"Ne, Kaka-sensei…where's-" Kakashi shifted his lone eye over to the blonde and sighed, knowing he wanted the whereabouts of their fourth team member.

"He left for Iwa just before you got here. He's going there to scope out the area and to see how things are going within Iwagakure…if things are fine he'll give us the signal and we can start negotiating with one of my contacts about some of the things we need for…our plan," Naruto nodded before sighing.

"So I guess we're going to follow after him when he gives the word?" When Kakashi nodded to his question, Naruto looked over to the figure leaning tiredly against the door frame.

"Hey Sai, we've been stuck living together as a team for four years now so come and lie down if you're that tired, I won't bite for Kami's sake," Kakashi chuckled under his breath as Naruto shuffled over to make room for the pale-skinned artist. Kakashi observed the scene quietly and once again he felt that ever familiar deep stab of guilt that pained his heart when he noticed a certain cheerful pink-haired kunoichi wasn't around to break the argument between the two. He shook it off and decided to speak to the dark-haired boy, knowing that it was safer to have left their beloved kunoichi than making her go along with their slightly insane plans.

"I'm guessing the secret meeting with Mizukage was exhausting?" Kakashi chuckled even more when all he got in response from the talented artist was a annoyed groan. Naruto snickered under his breath but bolted upright when he realised something.

"Ne, sensei...it's Iwa we're talking about and I mean he could get into so much trouble-" Naruto was cut off by the snapping noise of Kakashi closing his beloved book before the silver-haired jounin sent him a masked smile.

…

…

…

"Naruto, he'll be fine...I mean it _is_ Sasuke we're talking about,"

* * *

Got this up sooner than I thought! Anyway, please leave me a review! They motivate me to write teehee.

Bet you guys didn't see me throwing Sasuke in your faces eh! Hahhahaha explanations will be revealed in the next chapter!

I know it's going a little slow right now but I promise you guys some action next chappy!


	3. Chapter 3

Weee I love that you guys love this! I was SO inspired by your reviews that I drew a little something for you lovely people :D  
It's not much and it's basically my first proper photoshop work haha…

Anyway I had an anonymous reviewer who had trouble picturing Haruno-taichou…so I she's the first one from this story that I decided to draw up for all of you! It's over here pandapawzz. deviantart . com (without the spaces!) Hope you like it!

pandapawzz . deviantart #/ d54mnm7- coloured version (take away spaces)

pandapawzz . deviantart #/ d54mo2y - line art :D (take away spaces)

Anyway enough talk…enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Night had fallen and the air had gotten noticeably colder. The winds in Iwa may have been harsher than Konoha's but could never outdo the winds that ripped through Suna in the evenings. The vast expanse of land were covered in rocky formations that seemed to just shoot out of the ground in random positions, with only small patches of forest and grass littering the area here and there. The terrain was definitely much harsher than that of the land of Fire, not to mention how much harder it's going to be to keep out of plain sight.

Sakura crouched lower in her position from behind a particularly large rock formation, not wanting to alert the small platoon of Iwa chuunin scouting the area of her presence since it would not do her any good to place her village under suspicion. It was the Tsuchikage's trust that Danzou wanted after all. She had crossed the border between Takigakure and the land of Earth just moments before she had sensed a small platoon headed her way, causing her to hide her presence without being able to properly scope the area.

Plump lips were pulled into a small frown when the group of three chuunin had landed just a few feet in front of the rocky formation she was currently using as a barrier, frowning further when they decided to stay put and chat for a little while. Sakura thanked her perfect chakra control as she was able to mask her chakra so well it was almost non-existent, the only way of sensing it was to have an incredibly skilled tracker at one's disposal.

"Man the Tsuchikage gave us such a lame mission tonight!" Sakura closed her eyes as she strained her ears to listen to the conversation taking place.

"Well think of it this way, there's three teams on rotation tonight for scouting duty…which means there are two other teams who're going to suffer with us," This caught Sakura's attention. Scouting duties were standard in every hidden village and usually one or two shinobi were dispatched at a time…but having three teams was going a little over board under normal circumstances. Something wasn't right.

"I don't blame Tsuchikage-sama for increasing security. Sato Seiji is growing more powerful and his criminal activities are beginning to affect the hidden village as well...he's no longer keeping to the smaller villages on the outskirts," Emerald orbs snapped open as soon as those words had reached her ears. Sato Seiji was her target and to be causing enough damage to cause the Tsuchikage to increase security within the _outskirts_ rather than the village perimeter meant that this man was more powerful than she had first thought. She was beginning to see the 'suicide' in this mission.

"C'mon boys, let's keep moving before Tanaka-sensei catches us idling around," Sakura made no movement as they left, keeping still for a little longer before darting out her hiding spot with a speed that could almost rival Konoha's green beast. He had been the one to teach her after all.

"Danzou-sama did not elaborate on the extent of this man's power…" Her quiet whisper had her thinking back to Byakko's words of concern that broached the topic of her on-going loyalty towards the current Hokage. A small sense of doubt flashed through her mind but she had discarded it as soon as it came, knowing that to doubt Danzou would amount to nothing and only cause her the pain of punishment.

Something akin to fear flickered through jaded emerald orbs as she weaved her body through openings and crevices of jagged rocks. The mere thought of Danzou's punishments had her body trembling with a fear that had been brutally beaten into her flesh. She vowed to herself that she would never go back there. Not to the place where she spent every night curled in a ball, bleeding and crying for her team mates to protect her like they had once promised. Never in her life had she been so desperate to _want _to be protected by the very same people _she_ vowed to protect.

It was her goal to have them watch her back for once and she thought that she had finally caught up when Tsunade had congratulated her for reaching a level where she was finally on par with her mentor, not to mention she had only been seventeen at the time. But that year of torture had made her realise how painfully weak she truly was and how large the gap in power between her and her team had really been. Sakura shook her head to rid herself of such bitter thoughts as it was best to keep her concentration solely focused on her mission at hand. After all, how embarrassing would it be to get caught by a couple of chuunin when you were an Anbu captain?

"Never again," Those two words were devoid of any emotion but the meaning they held was there.

Sakura continued run towards the land of Earth's eastern border, weaving through the rocky terrain with the intention of finding the small village that that was situated near Sato Seiji's headquarters. Sakura narrowed her emerald orbs as she propelled herself through the tight crevices of the massive mountains made of solid rock, pure skill being the only thing keeping her from smashing head first into the gargantuan formations.

'Sato Seiji, currently in the top ten criminals wanted by the Land of Earth's daimyo and highly ranked within the shinobi bingo book' Sakura's mind dragged up everything she knew about the man and it had finally dawned on her that she knew close to nothing about his skill or criminal activity. It troubled her slightly to know that she would have to take this man down within the next week without having the necessary information to use to her advantage. Sakura calmed her mind and decided that this is what it was meant to be a shinobi. They were merely tools used to carry out other people's dirty work…they did not need to know the full story. No, all they needed was the order and they would carry it out without question.

It was at that moment that Sakura felt another couple of unfamiliar chakra signatures heading her way. With a swiftness that only a captain could have, the kunoichi pushed off the rock she had just landed on and began to scale the larger formation until she reached the peak. Masked lips let out a small sigh before the woman decided to lay herself flat against the surface, making herself as inconspicuous as possible.

Once they had passed and it was safe once again the kunoichi stood from her position and scanned the vast terrain before her, taking note of how rough the area really was with its numerous stone mountains covering almost every inch of land there was. Sharp orbs fixed themselves on a small area just a few miles ahead, the stone mountains wrapping around the outskirts of the small village as if protecting it from the outside world and encasing it within its cold walls.

"This must be the eastern village I'm looking for…thought it is quite the distance from the hidden village itself, so what does Sato want with a shinobi village?" Sakura couldn't stop herself from assessing her situation and coming up with various options that just don't seem to fit. There was an irritating feeling in her gut telling her something was definitely not right but she decided to brush it aside, knowing that she wasn't here to play hero for anyone. No…she was just here to carry out the orders she was given by her Hokage and nothing more.

Sakura looked towards the moon and decided that she still had time before sunrise to do some scouting of her own. The petal-haired kunoichi closed her eyes and focused on her chakra reserves, satisfied with finding that she still had a decent amount left despite a full day of nonstop travel. Sakura opened her eyes from beneath her mask before whipping out a kunai and slitting the top of her thumb.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu," Sakura watched silently as four wild cats the size of large wolves popped into existence before her and four pairs of sharps orbs slipped shut as they bowed to the woman in respect. Sakura had always favoured felines as they exuded a sense of pride and ferociousness that she admired…not to mention their every movement not only radiated grace but also a fluid kind of elegance.

"Sakura-sama, how may we be of assistance?" The smooth velvety tone of the black panther like cat walked up to Sakura and peered up at her with a calculating gaze as the crimson bandana wrapped around his neck fluttered against the chilly breeze. Sakura smirked beneath both masks and gave the large wild cat a soft pat on the head before straightening her back to regain her stern composure. She took note of the different ways each feline had worn their red bandanas before squaring her shoulders, getting ready to give her instructions.

"I'm looking for some sort of headquarters situated near this eastern village. Spread out and cover as much ground as you are able to before dawn. Stay around the perimeter of the village and if you are to come across anything suspicious, do not engage. Return to me and I will go alone from there. If we find nothing then we are to meet back here at dawn, am I clear?" After receiving four silent nods Sakura gave the signal and they had all disappeared within seconds, going their own ways.

…

…

They only had an hour or two before dawn. Sakura let out a small irritated sigh as she continued to scan the area she ventured into, already knowing that there wasn't much of a chance that they would find anything tonight and it only proved increase her irritation as she knew it would only prolong the completion of her mission.

Sakura landed on a boulder and scoped the area, sighing when she only came face to face with another sea of stone mountains. Masked emerald orbs shifted towards the horizon and could see the sky slowly fading from its darkened hue to a softer and greyer one. Sakura gave one last try and gently sent her chakra outwards to see if it came across any disturbances. She was not an incredible chakra sensory ninja so she couldn't sense everything she _could_ have. With a quiet sigh the kunoichi turned to leave, it was then that she felt a slight shift in the air pressure to her left.

With lightning reflexes Sakura ducked in a circular motion before bringing up her left leg in a swift roundhouse kick that sent her attacker crashing against the closest rocky surface, all within one swift motion that had been executed with an incredible amount of grace and power. Sakura's senses heightened to extreme lengths with the unexpected presence of danger and sped towards the man she had sent flying, waiting for him to awaken. She grew suspicious when he didn't. Sakura may not have been an exceptional chakra sensory ninja but she sure as hell was more than competent so why had she not sensed this man?

Sakura had an idea but she couldn't know for sure unless she checked her assailant's body. The petal haired Anbu captain waited for a few minutes before she deemed it to be safe to approach the man, calmness within her every move as no traces of fear were evident within her body. A gloved hand hovered over the man's heart before glowing in a medicinal kind of green that sent out chakra to probe the internal workings of his body. Sakura's suspicions were confirmed and her eyes narrowed at the information, making sure to keep her senses sharper for anymore surprise attacks.

"His body lacks the ability to use chakra…his chakra coils are similar to that of a civilians yet this man knew how to fight, not to mention hide his presence from _me_," Sakura had found that the man was on the brink of death with the many fractures and organ ruptures he had obtained from her attack. He wheezed and coughed up blood as he gazed deeply into the porcelain mask of his opponent.

'I couldn't sense him because he doesn't possess any chakra…is he one of Sato's men?' Sakura tilted her masked face as she stepped up closer to the man embedded within the rock's surface, only stopping when she was a few inches away.

"You're one of Sato's men are you not? Why did you attack me and what exactly are you?" Sakura had figured that without the ability to use chakra there was no way he could have cushioned his landing enough to make it somewhat survivable. She watched the man let a bloody grin play on his lips, causing her to sneer beneath her mask at the unpleasant sight.

"A woman? They still teach women how to fight? Che, what all you useless creatures should be worrying about is the domestics-" His insults were cut short when a kunai appeared beneath his chin, pressing harshly into his jugular. He hadn't even seen her move…

"Answer me," Her deathly calm tone had sent a shiver down his spine before he snarled at her, barring his blood stained teeth. Observant emerald orbs could already see the signs of his body shutting down and knew she didn't have much time so she sped up the interrogation.

"Answer me and I will let you live. I am also a healer," Sakura could see the hesitance in his beady orbs but knew he had no choice but to comply unless he wished to see death. The man had caved under the pain of his injuries, knowing he didn't have much time.

"Y-Yes I work under Sato-sama. We are normal people who specialise in martial arts and we do not possess chakra of any sort. I was on my way back to the base when I spotted your movements so I attacked, assuming you had ill intentions…and I was correct," Sakura frowned at the dirty glare he was giving her and pushed her kunai against him harder before lowering her arm back down to her side…she had one more question.

"Tell me…where is your base?" Sakura watched his eyes widen with incredulity before narrowing into a feral glare.

"I won't tell you filthy shinobi _anything_," Sakura didn't react and simply brought her kunai down onto his leg, digging it deep within his thigh before slowly withdrawing it once again.

"Where is it?" Her voice remained calm despite his constant string of foul words.

"Go fuck your-" The kunai was slammed into his left arm before being pulled it out at an agonizing pace. This woman was ruthless. The pain of his injuries was beginning to make him weak and Sakura knew it wouldn't be long before she got her answer.

"Where is it?" Sakura watched emotionlessly as he struggled to breathe. His eyes now held a sense of terror and it amused her greatly, her dark amusement only proving that she truly was no longer the same kunoichi she had been four years ago.

"I-It's just another 20miles further up from here…o-our base lies beneath the earth…now please…heal me," Sakura nodded and stepped closer to the man, watching silently as he closed his eyes in relief.

"You have been most helpful. Now…allow me to relieve you of your pain," Sakura saw him nod faintly before stepping back a little. Without another word the petal haired captain impaled the kunai deep into his throat with a speed that could only be obtained through years of training. She watched uncaringly as he his eyes snapped open with the emotions of betrayal, anger and misery passing through them in flashes that had abruptly ended with his last breath.

"Foolish man, I cannot risk you alerting your leader," With that Sakura called her summons to her before giving them new instructions.

"Destroy his body, I don't need his comrades discovering him and becoming suspicious," Sakura stepped out of the way as she let her cats puff out of existence with the company of her victim's lifeless body.

This was what Danzou had created from within that dark and torturous cell she was left to rot in. A shinobi who could be deemed as the perfect tool and by eliminating her emotions he had succeeded in breaking her. Only to shape her into the being he had in mind. Someone who could hunt, kill and destroy without questions if he gave the order. A fighter without a personality and only had the goal of carrying out his wishes. She fought with precision, power, speed and the overwhelming intent to kill. He had succeeded in killing Haruno Sakura. All that was left was Haruno-taichou, a mere shell of what the young woman used to be…and more importantly, she was a killer who slaughtered with no remorse. She was a perfect tool who served an imperfect man. It truly was a deadly combination.

"I'll do more recon tomorrow evening but for now I'll head to the eastern village for shelter," With that in mind Sakura turned to leave, her face still void of emotion even after killing a man in cold blood. The old Sakura was dead…and she was never coming back.

…

…

"Make sure Kakashi gets this," A strong arm lifted the falcon up as obsidian orbs watched the bird disappear into the sky.

Once the bird was out of sight the dark haired shinobi turned and continued to make his way into the small village that was situated within the land of Sound. It was mainly for the travellers and merchants who crossed through Takigakure, Otogakure and Shimogakure to get from Iwa to Kumo for trading purposes. Ever since the elimination of Orochimaru, the villages within sound have begun to prosper and the animosity within the land itself had lessened considerably.

Many women who were bustling around the busy market area had temporarily paused their activity to stare in awe at the mysterious young man who had entered their small village, several pairs of eyes drank up the alluring combination of his pale complexion and dark features. Many kept their curious gazes on him, wanting to observe the fine male specimen that had suddenly wandered into their streets. Several women swooned at the sight of two toned arms that swayed a little as their owner continued his calm pace, lines dipping and curving here and there to show the impressively defined muscle wrapped in flawless skin. He seemed to exude a masculinity that had women of different ages blushing his way.

Deep charcoal orbs observed the small merchant village through thick ebony locks that framed his face in a way that only accentuated his aristocratic features. Long ebony hair was roughly tied at the base of the young man's neck, the shorter layers sticking up in a charming manner while the rest fell and ended at a spot between his muscular shoulders. His attire consisted of a sleeveless navy tunic top that was loosely tied at the waist, showing off the smoothly toned planes of his chest, and a pair of black standard shinobi pants that were wrapped around the calves by bandages. The sleek sword attached to his waist had only added to his appeal as it made him look dangerous despite his cool demeanour.

Sasuke could feel the numerous pairs of eyes watching him and he continued to ignore them as he looked for a stall to buy food from. It has been years since he's last stepped foot in sound and if he were being completely honest, he would never have done so if he had a choice. But this was the fastest way to Iwa from Kumo and he could not afford to prolong the meeting with Kakashi's informant, they needed his help if their plan was to go smoothly. Sasuke's dark orbs caught sight of an onigiri stall and decided that it would do for the rest of his journey.

"O-Oh! H-Hello sir, h-how may I help you?" Sasuke didn't even need to look at the stuttering woman to know that she was blushing furiously from his presence and it did nothing but cause a small flicker of irritation to rise within him.

"I'll take five tomato onigiri and five salted salmon onigiri," Sasuke dipped into his weapons pouch to take out a couple of bills. The action had caused the material of his top to fall off of one shoulder, revealing more of the delicious cut of his shoulder to the woman who was doing her best not to drool at or touch the magnificent sight. Sasuke straightened up and stared back at the woman with unfeeling orbs, supressing the irritation he felt at being shamelessly ogled at.

"How much?" His stern command snapped the poor woman out of her stupor and she began blushing madly from being caught.

"T-that's three ryō, s-sir," Sasuke nodded and handed her the money before collecting his small package wrapped in banana leaf, putting it in his rucksack before leaving without another word.

His growing irritation had only further increased after leaving that stall as several women continued to badger him with words of buying something from their little shops or even if he could just visit so they could be graced with his presence. Sasuke was about to disappear into the treetops when a certain weapons stall caught his attention. It hadn't been the weapons themselves but the little green book that the man had been waving around to the public. It was the newest edition of the shinobi bingo book.

"Excuse me; is that the newest bingo book that's been printed?" The man's eyes shot up to Sasuke's, silently taking note of his taller and more intimidating form. Gathering his courage, the small man nodded eagerly at Sasuke and handed it to him as he began to speak about the small forest green book.

"You bet it is! This edition is by far the most intimidating! Newer names that is far more interesting than the previous! The shinobi world is truly getting more dangerous," Sasuke tuned the man out as he began to skim the contents page, eyes widening a fraction when they had landed on the list of Surnames under the letter H.

"How much?" His deep baritone voice held a slight sense of urgency that had the small man spluttering to give the price. Once Sasuke had paid he brushed off the flirtatious attempts of the younger women around him and took to the treetops, not stopping until he had a decent amount of distance between him and the merchant village.

"I must be seeing things," Sasuke slowly leaned against the tree he was situated on and made sure his footing on the large branch was steady before flipping the book open to that very familiar name.

Sasuke's stare had hardened when his dark orbs scanned over the unfamiliar profile picture and would have never believed it was the same girl that had professed her love for him many years ago if it weren't for the long petal mane that was tied into a high ponytail. His body had gone rigid and disbelief was clear on his handsome features.

'This can't be…Sakura?' His thoughts were going over so many things about the weakest member of team 7 and still couldn't comprehend why she had been placed in the bingo book. His entire team had been in the bingo book long before he had re-joined with them two years ago but never had their only female teammate's name been printed, despite being a renowned medic and apprentice to the Godaime herself. Sasuke pushed off of the tree and straightened his back, disbelieving eyes carefully scanning the information provided, making sure to go over every single word without mistake.

"This can't be possible…" Sasuke began to glare at the page he had been reading and did not understand how the weakest link in their team had a bounty of over fifty million ryō, which was almost as much as the bounty over Sai's head. Of course Sai's bounty wasn't very far from his own or Naruto's or Kakashi's. This new information had unsettled him as he recalled Naruto and Kakashi speaking about her once and how it was the right decision to leave their blossom within the confines of their village, thinking it was safer for the young woman. Sasuke was in full agreement not because he had her safety in mind but rather he did not want her getting in their way.

"She's an Anbu captain under the Root faction? 216 A-rank solo missions completed and 89 S-rank solo missions. Specialises in Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Iriyou-nin jutsu and other abilities unknown…" Sasuke stored the knowledge in the back of his mind and couldn't even begin to grasp the severity of the situation. He looked at the profile picture and noticed the porcelain mask that completely covered the kunoichi's face, he still couldn't be sure this was the Sakura he knew…the Sakura Naruto, Kakashi and Sai always spoke about. Sasuke sighed before drawing blood from his thumb and summoning another one of his falcons.

"Bring this to Naruto and the others, immediately," Sasuke tied the booklet to one of the large bird's legs and waited for the bird to disappear from sight before taking off and getting back to his own route.

'Root…how have things come to this?' Sasuke shook his head, trying to clear his head enough so that he isn't too distracted from his current mission. Memories of Naruto mentioning the petal haired kunoichi resurfaced and so did the memories of his decision two years ago.

Their paths had crossed almost two years ago in Kusagakure when he was attempting to gain information on Danzou. The fight he had with the Dobe had caused enough damage to land both of them in a civilian hospital for more than a month and during their time there he was forced to hear out the blonde and why they should join forces in taking down the old man. He would have left the blonde's company as soon as he was able…if it weren't for the offer the demon vessel had made.

…

"_Sasuke, I need your help…I need to take Danzou down and free Konoha," Sasuke remained silent in his bed but began processing this new bit of information in his mind, he did need more man power if he was planning on taking on the whole of Konoha. _

"_Sasuke, that damned man brought Konoha to its knees…I need to do this for the village! For Sakura-chan…" The guilt and misery that was present in the blonde's voice had caught his attention._

"_Where is she? Is she not a part of Team Kakashi?" Sasuke watched with narrowed orbs as the blonde looked away to hide the pain from his usually sunny features. His words seemed to have triggered something within his old teammate as the blonde whispered in a tone that sounded so vicious that it had him tensing with the anticipation of an attack. _

"_She is and always will be!" Feral cobalt orbs flickered from their normal colour to a ferocious red; this had Sasuke raising a fine eyebrow in response. Naruto was guilty of something…_

"_You abandoned her," It wasn't a question and the downcast look of his old friend had been enough confirmation to his words. _

"_She would have gotten in the way," Sasuke's voice was so uncaring and devoid of any emotion for their female teammate that it had Naruto snarling at the arrogant young man. _

"_That's not it! We…we had our mission and-"_

"_Save it. I don't particularly care. I will accept your offer if you promise me Danzou," Naruto stared at the young man opposite to him and all his anger seemed to have disappeared as a wide grin split his face. _

"_As long as you kill the bastard I don't care. Welcome to the team teme! Wait what about your team?" Sasuke didn't even glance back at the noisy blonde before closing his eyes to go over his decision._

"_They will assist us," Sasuke ignored the enthusiastic babbling of the tall jinchuuriki across from him and decided to carefully plan things out from here. He couldn't get too comfortable with his old team as he wasn't planning on staying after Danzou's death…_

"_I can't believe you agreed so easily teme!" Sasuke scowled inwardly as he heard the hope within the blonde's voice. Little did he know that he too, had plans of his own…_

"_Sakura-Chan's gonna be so happy when she sees you!" Sasuke eyes opened after hearing the name and closed once again in annoyance. He had no plans in ever reuniting with the kunoichi as it would only prove to bring him more trouble. _

"_Hn,"_

…

Sasuke's thoughts were brought back to the present and he began thinking of team Taka. They were also sent on separate missions that were given by Kakashi but they barely travelled together anymore as they were often split to complete missions that required each of their specific abilities. Though when they did gather, it was for only a few days until they were dispatched again to do some recon or make money so they could carry out the steps of Naruto and Kakashi's plan to overthrow Danzou.

Sasuke sighed and increased his speed. Thinking about bits and pieces of his past and the reasons why he was where was now was only proving to give him a headache. All he could think about right now was killing Danzou and if Naruto could make it happen faster than he would not waste the opportunity.

"Danzou," The mere mention of the name ignited a rage within Sasuke that can only be quelled with the wretched man's death. He was going to avenge his brother…and he was going to love every second of it.

A sudden thought interrupted his sadistic musings and he couldn't help but become curious about his pink haired ex-teammate. Danzou was the leader of the Root faction and they were deathly loyal to the sadistic man…so how and for what reason did Sakura make her way into the cold hearted faction? If he remembered correctly, Naruto had bragged about how caring and passionate the pinkette had been so it made no sense for her to suddenly change and enlist herself under Danzou's command. Did she do it to get stronger? He scoffed at the thought and knew that he could easily break her if he wished to. It was then when he had been struck by an unexpected thought…

'If she's one of his captains…then it is possible that she will defend that sick bastard' the thought itself had somehow caused rage to flare within his chest and he couldn't help but let out a small snarl in response.

…

…

…

"It seems as though she _will_ be getting in the way…"

* * *

Oh finally my finals are over! Haha anyways review and tell me what you think!

Your reviews really do motivate me guys so leave me one! Haha I mean they motivated me to even draw for you hehe! Tell me if you liked the picture! I'll probably be drawing the rest of the team as well! Maybe I'll draw Sasuke for the next chapter hehe

Oh and yes, Sasuke is not too much of a crazed psychopathic murderer guys! Yay!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

* * *

…

"_Haruno Sakura, you are under arrest and are to be taken back to Danzou-sama alive for further instruction," Sakura's eyes widened a fraction with this new bit of information but her strength didn't waver. She had to get out of the village and away from this coup…she needed to find her missing team mates._

"_Why not just kill me where I stand? What damned plan does that old bastard have for me?" Sakura's tone was controlled but the venom that laced the tone could not be missed. _

"_Do not speak of Danzou-sama in such a manner," Sakura inwardly shivered at their monotone voices as they all lacked emotion but held a certain degree of authority. _

"_I will never bow down to such scum!" Sakura had flickered out of view and reappeared above the nearest Root member to her right, aiming a perfect heel drop that she had learnt from none other than her beloved shishou. _

…

_Everything began to blur together so fast that she couldn't tell when one thing started and the other ended, before she knew it she was shackled to the cold hard ground inside a small cramped prison cell. Her world spun when she tried to open her eyes and a small groan left her blood stained lips when she tried to sit up. _

_She need to escape…the fate of the whole village was depending on the information Tsunade stored within her mind. _

_She needed to get out. _

"_Damn," Sakura forced her body to sit up through sheer will power. Her whole body ached from her fight with Danzou's elite Anbu group and she didn't need chakra to know that her several of her bones were not only fractured but also broken._

"_These chains…" Sakura growled in frustration as she realized the chains binding her had been chakra bindings. They prevented the circulation of chakra and that fact alone had made it almost impossible to break out of this hellhole._

_The bars of her prison cell ached angrily with the movement of someone opening the doors. Burning emerald orbs glared down her visitor, knowing what he was here for and hating the events that were soon to follow. _

"_Look how the mighty have fallen. No protection from your so-called loved ones, ne? I mean I understand since I _killed_ your beloved mentor…but your team? Where are they now, darling?" Sakura's eyes widened with rage at the bastard's sickening voice, her breaths came out in short huffs of air as she tried to contain the burning need to decapitate the retched man with her own fists. _

"_You have no right to speak of the Godaime!" Sakura's hate filled words came out in a feral growl as she fought her shackles with so much force that they began to dig into her flesh. But she didn't care…as long as she could get her hands on this filthy being. _

_Danzou watched with slight amusement as the young woman before him struggled to rid herself of the chains just to get to him…he definitely needed to teach her about _reality.

"_Give up on your fantasies of escape and revenge. No one is coming for you…accept it," Sakura barred her teeth at the very face she wished to gouge with her own nails. Every fibre of this man was evil and he thought he could cover it all up with his bullshit on it being 'for the good of the village'?_

"_They will come for me and when they do…you'll be sorry-" Sakura's head snapped harshly to the right as her pained orbs closed instantly to try and force the pain away. Danzou had kicked her in the face and he knew how it stung her pride. _

"_Listen, you useless whelp of a kunoichi…you are weak and now that you have no one to baby you from the real world, you will need to learn how to survive alone. I am kind enough to teach you," Danzou remained calm as he executed a powerful kick to the battered teenager's chest. The shackles held her down harshly as they stopped her momentum and kept her from flying back into the wall. The pressure around her wrists and ankles were unbearable and she bit down on her lower lip in order to supress any sounds of pain that were threatening to escape. _

"_Placed in a genin team with the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, the last surviving Uchiha heir and the infamous Copy-ninja Hatake Kakashi eh? Always the unremarkable of the three students and never personally trained by the Copy-nin…do you realise your own worthlessness child? Your sensei did," Danzou made a signal with his right hand and within seconds two root members were stationed at her sides. Sakura choked down the fear and braced herself. She didn't want to listen anymore…_

"_Shut up! Kakashi-sensei…he was just worried for the boys more-" Danzou chuckled and he made a single hand motion before two kunai were stabbed into her shoulder blades. Her mouth clamped down in order to muffle the scream of agony that was making its way up her throat. _

"_Your only redeeming factor was your incredible chakra control…yet what use was it when you did not have the skill or chakra reserves to execute a simple nin-jutsu technique? Hatake knew he'd be wasting time on you so he moved right past you to teach the boys. Uchiha Sasuke inherited the man's original technique while the jinchuuriki was taught to create his own. What about you? Nothing," Sakura glared hatefully at the ground. She knows. She knows! She knew for the love of the Hokage…she _knew_. _

_When she remained silent the root member to her left slammed his heel down on her hunched back and she whimpered when a sickening crack echoed throughout the dimly lit room. _

"_Enough!" With a wave of pure rage, Sakura fought against her chains with more force than before and Danzou couldn't help but smirk when her right wrist had completely torn the metal free from the ground without the help of chakra. _

_Within seconds Sakura had used the freed chain to wind itself around the Anbu who had kicked her down, pulling on it harshly as soon as it had a grip. The man had his skull crushed against the damp ground as the feral kunoichi kept her palm pressed harshly against her victim's head. Sakura was about to free the rest of her-self when the remaining Anbu had proceeded to break her freed arm and nail it down to the cold ground with his katana._

_This time she couldn't help the pained cry that tore through her being. _

"_Don't worry child, just as Tsunade-hime did, I too…see your potential," With a wicked grin Danzou had moved with a swiftness that Sakura's bruised orbs could not follow. _

_She could barely let out a scream when she heard the faint crack of her skull hitting the ground and before she knew it…the darkness was once again consuming her world._

…

…

Emerald orbs snapped open and within a single heartbeat the kunoichi was crouched in a defensive position on top of the old mattress, her kunai poised and ready for an attack. Her breathing was harsh and laboured as her dreams were constantly filled with memories of a hazy past she would give anything to forget.

With a quick scope of her surroundings, the woman remembered that she was in an inn at the eastern village and that she was currently carrying out a mission handed down by her Hokage. Emerald orbs had lost their anxiousness and once again returned to their normal blank state without losing their alertness.

"Weak…" The word carried no emotion as it passed her luscious lips; it meant nothing to the woman as she knew that she was anything _but_ weak. Danzou had made sure of it.

Sakura looked out of her window and by judging the position of the sun she could tell it was already late afternoon. Without another thought the woman got up and headed to the washroom to change into her civilian clothes. Harmless attire that consisted of her deceased mentor's old tunic top and loose black shorts that ended around her mid-thigh. Though just because it looked harmless did not mean she did not have deadly weapons hidden on her person.

Sakura looked down at the old top and something soft and unguarded passed through sharp emerald…though it was gone as soon as it came and she couldn't help but frown at her show of weakness. Her mentor will always have a place in her heart, no matter how cold and jaded she became.

Once Sakura was done hiding more of her poisoned senbon she looked into the mirror and untied her long petal locks, allowing them to cascade down her back like a soft pink waterfall, ending at her waist. She couldn't afford to be seen as a shinobi so she cast a two layered genjutsu over herself, making it incredibly hard for a normal shinobi to see through it. She had Kurenai to thank for her vast knowledge in genjutsu but the woman probably regrets teaching her after learning she was now under Danzou's command.

Sakura dismissed the useless thought and checked her appearance in the mirror, satisfied with the waves of ebony locks and amber hued orbs. This was the disguise she entered this town with so it would be best to keep it up even if she did wish to change eye colour. Other than her hair, eyes and coverage of her Anbu tattoo nothing else changed as it would reserve more chakra and allow her to keep things as real as possible.

It was going to be dark soon and the night markets were already opening so the kunoichi grabbed a few bills before exiting her room and making her way down the stairs to the front of the inn. She could gather information while she looked for a meal and then later on she would check out the base and draw up her plan of action for the next few days.

…

…

Sakura walked through the illuminated streets where vendor after vendor called out to the people, persuading them into buying their goods and most succeeded as the village seemed to get more crowded by the minute. Sakura took this time to blend into the crowds, keeping her ears open for anything that would help her gain more knowledge on Sato's organisation.

Sakura kept her face void of any emotion as she caught the lusty gazes of several men around her. She began to regret not using her genjutsu to make a few more changes to her body. Her body was toned and slender yet it curved out in all the right places, telling everyone that she was no longer a little girl in the midst of adolescence…no, she was a woman in every sense of the word. She had managed to fill out her mentor's old tunic but there was still a little space since she wasn't as blessed as the blonde woman.

"Have you heard? They're saying that Sato and his group are starting to get impatient! I wouldn't know what to do if I were the Tsuchikage…" Sakura's eyes slid to her right and she came across a small grilled squid booth with a group of men who happened to be talking about her target. She decided that she'd eat there for the night. So with her mind made up the petal haired captain strode over and sat next to the men at the counter.

"Two large squids and green tea please?" After hearing her melodious voice the group of men turned their attention towards her.

"Comin up ma'am!"

"Hey miss you should be more careful around here," The first one was a tall and lanky fellow who was genuine in his concern for her safety…though she couldn't say the same for the other two who seemed to be eyeing her up like a piece of meat. Sakura inwardly sneered at the two.

"Oh? Why is that?" She put on a fake smile and turned her body to face the lanky man, showing that he had her attention.

"There's a crime lord on the loose and rumour has it that he is situated near our town…which is why we're constantly raided. My daughter was kidnapped just a few weeks ago…" Sakura pretended to look sympathetic but truthfully the information had not managed to stir up any emotion within her and, instead, served as Intel that she stored away.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…do they kidnap often?" Sakura needed more information to put this all together. There was no doubt that Sato Seiji was involved in the underground black markets but what she wants to know is how he's able to rile up the Tsuchikage so much.

"They not only kidnap, dear…they take money from villages like ours and recently there are rumours that they've been infiltrating the hidden village to steal forbidden scrolls," Sakura's eyes widened slightly and was glad that the men had probably passed it off as being fearful of the danger. To steal forbidden scrolls from a Kage…her target was truly a brave man. By stopping this man the Tsuchikage would have no choice but to recognise Konoha as an ally…which is just what Danzou wants.

"That's terrible…I better watch out huh? Well thanks for the warning sir…I'll get going now," Sakura gave the man a fake smile before excusing herself from the booth.

Sakura was making her way back to the inn when she heard a muffled sound coming from the dark alley up ahead. Her brow furrowed slightly before she moved to the nearest wall and proceeded to stealthily make her way towards the opening of the alley. She peered around the corner and emerald orbs narrowed slightly at the sight of two lean figures cornering a child, from what she could see.

"So this is the councilman Fuji's son? Bit scrawny, no?" From the sound of their voices Sakura could determine that they were indeed male and that their movements were too fluid to be that of a civilian. They must be shinobi.

"Who cares about his appearance…Sato-sama said to grab this boy for one of his clients. Apparently there's a guy out there who has it out for this Fuji guy so let's not keep them waiting," With a nod of understanding the two shinobi advanced on the frightened boy and Sakura stayed calm and unmoving, the boy's fate was not any of her concern. It was not part of her mission to save this child so she had no business with him. Though he did prove to be of help as they would take him to Sato…

'Perfect. They'll lead me straight to their base' Sakura hid further into the shadows when the two men exited the alley with a large sack thrown over the taller one's shoulders. She stared blankly at the child's covered form and decided that she would not save the child as it would not only hinder her plans but also make unnecessary trouble for her.

Sakura made to follow when a sudden pain shot through her head and it had her slumping back against the building as she gripped her head in pain.

'_Monster…' _Sakura's emerald orbs snapped open in surprise at the faint whisper that passed through her mind. It definitely wasn't a memory that had come back to haunt her…no it was something else.

'_Monster…unfeeling…cold…jaded…filth!' _Sakura bit her lip at the pain coursing through her head. She didn't understand where this voice was coming from and it was getting louder with every sentence.

'_Leaving a child to die…what kind of cruel being have you become? We weren't taught to live like this!'_ Sakura pushed back the pain and took to the rooftops in order to catch up to the two men who had fled the scene a couple of minutes ago. The pain was making it harder to focus and she couldn't afford to lose her focus at the moment so she decided to push the voice back while keeping her pace steady at the same time.

'Go away' With that one thought Sakura narrowed her eyes further, trying to push back the mysterious voice that had surfaced randomly from within the depths her mind.

'_You can't make me go away…I'm you. I am the manifestation of your inner emotions. The emotions locked deep within your mind' _Sakura couldn't believe this…maybe her stress was finally getting to her? This was impossible. Inner Sakura had disappeared years ago…years before Danzou's reign!

'I have no need for such useless emotions. Now leave me be' Sakura's irritation rose as she realised that she was practically talking to herself but she was eased slightly by the fact that she had finally caught up to the enemy shinobi. She needed her focus more than ever.

'_Emotions are what keep you human! What would shishou think if she saw us now?' _The voice wasn't receding and it was beginning to make the pain in the pink haired captain's head throb twice as much.

'Do not speak of the Godaime-'

'_No. _You_ have no right to speak of her. She'd be disappointed with how you turned out…'_

The taunting voice was becoming stronger and firmer with every passing minute and a form of a woman was beginning to manifest within her mind's eye. It was blurry and flickered almost constantly. Why was this happening now?

'You never cared when I slaughtered dozens…so why now?' Sakura crouched on top of the rooftop she had landed on and watched the two men stop and exchange a few words. She took this small break as an opportunity to rid herself of the irritating voice within her head.

Sakura froze as a chill ran down her spine. She closed her eyes momentarily to focus on the flickering figure within her mind…she could almost feel an eerie smirk stretching the figure's lips.

'_His seal is weakening…'_ The figure seemed to be laughing but with a sudden pull of chakra; both the voice and the hazy figure were being pulled back to the deepest parts of her mind once again. Sakura was slightly disturbed with how unwilling the figure seemed to be but within a couple more seconds it was gone. Sakura shivered and placed a hand gently upon a small spot on the back of her neck. Slim digits were tracing the pattern of her master's very own seal.

That chakra that had pulled the voice back…it was Danzou's. Sakura sighed and rubbed the seal on the nape of her neck before sending some cooling chakra to her head to ease the pain and sharpen her focus.

It was at that moment when the men took off and she was glad that she could think properly once again because they were already out of the village walls, heading straight to the base at a much faster pace. Sakura narrowed her eyes before she leapt off of the rooftop she had been on and continued to follow after the shinobi, keeping a decent amount of space between them.

Sakura took note of the directions they were taking and ingraining them into her memory as she would need to return when the time was right. Her surrounding was nothing but rocks and craters with little bits of shrubbery here and there. It was clear that hiding would be a bigger problem in this terrain so the petal haired captain made sure to mask her chakra further just in case one of the brutes happened to sense her.

'_Save him…'_ A scowl pulled at Sakura's lips and she couldn't help but snarl at the nuisance that plagued her mind. There was no way in hell she was compromising this mission for some nobleman's child.

Sakura increased her pace as she zigzagged through the open terrain, hoping the pattern would allow more coverage and that her speed would be enough to lessen any chances of someone catching her. They were nearing the area that her first attacker had told her of and she was slightly satisfied with the knowledge that the man had not tried to fool her. Though she would easily be able to pick up on any lies as there would be a small fluctuation within the person's heartbeats, something her medical skill wouldn't allow her to miss.

'_Save him…for the sake of our humanity'_ her patience was being rubbed raw by the irritating voice and she growled under her breath before reluctantly recalculating her next steps of action in order to save the child without sabotaging this opportunity. Once she was certain that there was only a small percentage of failing this new plan, she shook her head and pumped more chakra into her legs.

…

…

"Aniki…Let's hurry. Sato-sama is probably sick of entertaining his client," The shorter of the two adjusted the weight on his shoulder before giving the taller one the signal to open the sealed doors.

"You're right…here we go," The taller of the two rapidly performed a number of hand seals before pumping a specific amount of chakra into his leg and giving the ground one hard stomp. A large slab of earth rose from the ground where it was covering the descending staircase that led to Sato Seiji's headquarters.

'So that's where it was…clever' Sakura narrowed cold amber orbs before waiting a few more seconds to see if the entrance required any more protocol. Once she was sure there was none, she took in a deep breath before standing from her position and loosening her tunic top to show a little more cleavage. She needed this to work.

Without another word, Sakura put up an innocent façade before stumbling loudly into the open, just a few feet away from where the shinobi had begun their descent.

Sakura inwardly smirked when both men had turned almost instantly the minute she kicked around some rubble and immediately made their way up the stairs once again, dropping into offensive positions as they poised their katana towards her.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" The taller of the two had snarled his words and seemed ready to attack. Though before he could move, his partner threw up his free hand in order to stop the other.

"Ne aniki…looks like we have a lost little civilian girl over her. She's quite the beauty, no?" Sakura acted horrified and stumbled back a little, trembling hands flying up to cover her exposed cleavage in an attempt at modesty. This had only made the two men relax in their stances and let out similar wicked grins. They couldn't feel enough chakra within her body to assume that she was a kunoichi so they had deemed her harmless enough to let their guards down.

"Now that you mention it…she looks just like what Sato-sama would want. Maybe if we give her to him as a present he'll let us have her afterwards eh?" Both men cackled evilly as they watched the frightened woman turn on her heel and make a mad dash for safety.

"Tsk tsk tsk…the little mouse thinks she can get away…" The shorter of the two adjusted the child on his shoulder before grinning at his lecherous companion.

"Well what are we waiting for? I think we've given her enough of a head start," With that both men broke into a harsh sprint, not caring whether they were late for their delivery.

Sakura smirked wickedly as she kept her pace to that of an adrenaline filled civilian. She wondered how men such as those morons had even become shinobi in the first place. At least her assumptions of the two being stupid were correct and that if she did things correctly she could return the boy to safety…and rid herself of that annoying voice.

Temporary amber orbs narrowed when she felt their chakras approaching at a rapid pace so she ran straight for the nearest direction that provided as much coverage as it could. She couldn't risk anyone from their organisation witnessing her taking out two of their members so she hastily made her way to the centre of a couple of large rocks that formed a partial wall of sorts.

Sakura smirked when she heard them land on top of the make shift wall, clumsily turning around with so much shock that she had purposefully tripped over in the process. Amber orbs widened in fear as the two men approached her quivering form with lecherous grins stretching both their lips. Sakura inwardly growled at how foolish these shinobi were.

'Have to get him to put the boy down…' Sakura concentrated on her façade and clumsily got to her feet, moving backwards until she hit the rocky wall. Her mind began to come up with different strategies before deciding that she needed to be able to show them that she had just enough fight in her for the shinobi carrying the boy to help out.

With a plan ready, Sakura let out a terrified scream when the taller of the two rushed towards her. With movements that were forced to go slower than they usually were, the ebony haired woman dove to the right and scurried back when the man had aimed a sloppy punch to her abdomen. After dodging the man's attacks with the pretence of being just _slightly_ faster than your average civilian female, Sakura put on a face full of desperation before she aimed a solid chakra-less punch at the man's chest. The shock from the unexpected attack sent him stumbling back a few steps.

Sakura sent a glance to the shorter of the two and she had inwardly smirked when he began to look frustrated with how long it was taking to capture her. Just a little more before he joins the dance…

She knew that if she had blown her cover immediately the man carrying the child would make a run for it, hoping that he would get the mission done by himself. Sakura inwardly braced herself when she allowed her assailant to land a solid round house kick to her right side. She feigned a cough before her eyes caught the glinting katana tied at the man's waist. It was the last push she needed to get the other man to drop the kid.

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously for a moment as she locked her eyes on the glinting blade. With a small battle cry the dark haired woman dove for the blade and locked it into an iron grip before ripping it out from the man's waistband. The looks of surprises told her that she had accomplished pushing the other man into action. She waved the blade shakily at the two and began stuttering her words, much to her internal disgust.

"I-I'm not afraid to use this! I-I-I'll k-kill the both of y-y-you!" Sakura inwardly retched at the shaky pitch flowing from her throat. She would kill these men without mercy after they put the boy down. No one saw fear in the infamous petal-haired root captain's eyes, fake or not, and _lived_ to tell the tale.

"Aniki this bitch is getting out of hand…Let me help you," The shorter shinobi tossed the boy to the side carelessly before brandishing his own blade and taking his place next to his 'aniki'. Sakura inwardly scoffed at their attempt at intimidation...she could almost laugh at the two. Once she was sure they were far enough from the boy Sakura stopped her shaking and straightened her stance before throwing the katana back to the taller man, his face contorting in confusion as he caught his stolen blade.

"This bitch has gone mad!" The brothers' laughs were loud and crude but they faltered when they stared back into harsh amber orbs, confusion was setting in when they watched a hollow smirk playing on the beautiful woman's lips. Their irritation slowly gave way to fear as the woman's aura changed from harmless to a deadly coldness that caused wave after wave of shivers to run down their spines.

"I have not gone mad gentlemen…I just figured that you'd need that more than me," Sakura's frightened façade had completely dropped and her gentle yet hard voice cut through the air like a kunai. She watched dryly as anger began to fill the shinobi and she couldn't help but inwardly scowl at their blatant show of emotion. Their carelessness would be the cause of their deaths.

"You arrogant bitch! How dare you underestimate-" Before the taller man could finish his words the dark haired woman had flickered out of existence before appearing at his left side, executing a chakra-powered roundhouse kick, that hit him squarely in the jaw, as she was airborne. Sakura marvelled at the sickening crunch that echoed throughout the area the moment her leg connected to his face, sending the man flying towards the nearest rocky formation.

Without another word she materialised in front of the airborne man, just inches before he hit the rock, and used his momentum against him by cocking back a fist that surged with her fiery chakra. Everything seemed to slow for the man as he watched her fists closing in towards his chest inch by agonising inch.

"One down-" Sakura let out a crazed smirk as she relished in the sound of shattering bones and the horribly beautiful feeling of one's fist passing through another's chest cavity. Amber orbs narrowed in satisfaction when she felt her fist break through the dead man's back, shattering the spinal cord in the process. She didn't want the carcass hanging off of her and soak the rest of her body so she used her momentum to spin, allowing the body to slip off and crash into the nearest boulder with a sickening splat.

"One to go…" Sakura closed her eyes and gave her arm a solid flick to remove the man's blood that had remained. The ferocious woman let out a gentle sigh before snapping her narrowed eyes at the last shinobi. She watched as fear enveloped his entire being and lifted a delicate eyebrow, features devoid of any emotion.

She would be lying if she were to say that she didn't enjoy ridding the world of these buffoons.

"M-Monster!" The last man cried out before making a mad dash for the boy's form. Sakura watched and inhaled a deep breath before letting an eerie smirk play on her luscious lips.

Before he could dive and grab the boy, the woman had materialised in front of him and stared him down with eyes that were completely haunting, the lack of emotion only increasing the fear clawing at his heart. The short man let out a sharp gasp before swinging his katana around haphazardly.

A sickening squelch was heard and the man looked at the bleeding woman in front of him and he couldn't help but feel the confidence returning to his body. He grinned wickedly before hacking at her again and again, feeling his pride growing in his chest with every slash. Before he could get in one more slash, he realised that the woman had yet to show any signs of pain from his attacks.

"W-What?" He stumbled backwards when the woman gave him a hollow smirk before disappearing in a puff of smoke. His beady orbs widened in horror as the fear came crashing back down to him with more force than before. The man gripped his katana as a crazed look formed within his eyes and without another thought he turned around and ran, only to see the terrifying woman cocking her glowing fist back.

"Not this time!" The man hissed before pivoting on his heel and jumping up, successfully avoiding the earth-shattering punch. But his ears caught the dreaded sound of a faint pop and his head craned downwards to see the smoke left behind by the clone. It was a damned _clone. _His eyes widened in his airborne state and he snapped his eyes up at the slight shift in air pressure.

Much to his horror the cursed woman had appeared in the air above him and with a speed that his eyes couldn't follow, she had thrown three poison-dipped senbon that were already being embedded along the column of his throat before he could notice. He could feel the poison rapidly spreading within his system and his body began shutting down as he fell to his death.

"You don't deserve such an easy death, scum," Sakura closed the distance between them in the air before moving her body elegantly in a spinning motion, using the momentum to aim a chakra-powered kick to the man's abdomen. She smirked in satisfaction when she felt her foot connect and shatter every bone in the man's body within a second, before watching the force of her attack send the man speeding down towards the earth. The man landed in the centre of the small clearing, leaving a decent sized crater and fissures that webbed out in random patterns.

"Not even worthy of a genin title…" Sakura scoffed at the bodies as she landed next to the boy's unconscious form. The captain had summoned her trusty felines, watching blankly as they snickered at the damage their human had inflicted among the idiots.

"Destroy the bodies. I have to return this child," Once the cats nodded and scattered she looked down at the boy in slight annoyance. This child had almost cost her the exact location of the entrance.

Sakura crouched down and removed the sack from the child, eyes roaming the boy's body on instinct to assess the amount of damage done. She only found minor cuts and bruises and decided that the boy could heal on his own…it would be wasteful to use any more of her chakra for the sake of this boy.

"Such a burden…" Sakura sighed as she bent down to haul the boy onto her shoulder but a sudden familiar pain surged through her mind once again.

'_I won't let us fall over the edge…' _ To say that Sakura was annoyed was a great understatement. With her mind set on ridding herself of this self-righteous voice, the woman sat down with crossed legs and slapped her hands together in the seal for concentration. The pinkette closed her eyes and focused on the events transpiring within her mind.

'What edge?' Sakura's Anbu geared figure materialised in the darkness of her mind as she stood in front of the hazy image of the woman with an annoying voice. Long petal locks hung from the standard ponytail, swishing slightly as the owner shook her head in annoyance.

'_The edge of sanity! This is not our way of the ninja! Think carefully and remember what we fought for!' _The image of the woman became clearer with every passing second and jaded emerald orbs narrowed harshly as they clashed with a pair of fiery emerald. The woman had the same petal hair but instead hers cascaded freely down her back and her posture screamed dominance. This woman was an image of her old self…one she no longer needed.

'Enough of this nonsense…go back to the box I shoved you in and stay within its walls.' Sakura watched with uncaring eyes as the other Sakura's forehead glowed for a second before dimming, leaving behind the words 'Inner Sakura' etched onto its skin.

'_Remember the reason why I am sealed and not completely gone!'_ Sakura couldn't remember for the life of her why she hadn't eliminated this nuisance in the first place so she had decided to stay blank and uncaring.

'_With every innocent death and every drop of blood spilt by your hands…the emotions that you block and throw away all go to that 'box'. Feelings of regret, misery, betrayal, hurt…they've manifested into what you see now. Me. I won't allow shishou's teachings to be forgotten…' _Sakura glared at the fiery woman and slowly made her way towards her, stopping only inches away from those fiery emotion-filled orbs.

'Emotions make you weak. I have no need for them and I have no need for _you_. Do not bother with preaching of change and feelings. I will not revert back to my state of weakness. It will not please Danzou-sama' Sakura watched the anger flare within the other image of herself and did not falter when the image had harshly knocked her forehead with her own, keeping it there for an intimidating effect.

'_Danzou will die by our hands…I will make sure of it'_ the threat had caused an instinct to protect her Hokage to stir within her emotionless heart and she pushed the other emotion-filled Sakura back with her still-attached forehead.

'I will _eliminate_ your existence in my mind before such a thing occurs' Sakura scowled at the haughty smirk forming on her other personality's face. It was starting to look eerie in its nature.

'_You forget that you are not the only one that inhabits this mind'_ despite the gentleness within her voice, the threat that laced her words was as clear as day and that had destroyed Sakura's patience.

'Exactly…you forget that you are not the only one' With that Sakura swiftly removed her forehead from the other and gave the other a harsh round house kick that sent the image hurtling to the deepest parts of her mind.

Sakura's amber orbs snapped open and she gently shook her head to rid herself of any dizziness she'd experienced from the unfortunate encounter. Inner Sakura was gone…at least for now and she could get back on track with her mission.

Sakura bent to haul the boy over her shoulder but thought of his injured state and placed him on her back instead before hastily making her way back to the village. She needed to rethink her plans and maybe this boy could help with her plans of infiltration...

Sakura looked back at the unconscious six year old before increasing her speed as she had lost enough time as it is. Jaded orbs narrowed dangerously as she stared ahead and had decided that she would find a way to dispose of her emotions…entirely.

…

…

…

"I will not accept weakness,"

* * *

I'm sorry for the late update! Was finishing off a painting for a client…

Anyway enough of my excuses! I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter…I honestly had fun writing this as it feels like I'm finally getting somewhere! Hahaha

Please tell me what you thought in a review! I'd really like to know if I'm doing ok…

Yes it hurts me to write such a detached Sakura but…It's so interesting, No?


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